WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 July 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMANS READY FOR THE NEXT BLOW.

LONDON, June 28,

Military writers state that it is impossible to disguise Germany’s enormous preparations. Correspondents on the British front call attention to the imminence of big events. There is almost uninterrupted cannonading, exceptional aerial activity, and numerous raids on both sides with the object of disturbing the enemy and gathering information. Everywhere there is an air of expectancy. Everyone is on the qui vive'.

The “Daily Telegraph’s” Rotterdam correspondent reports that the German preparations appear complete'. Heavy transport, of troops from German barracks and camps is going on.. The general indications are that the main attack will be in Flanders, though the enemy is able to throw in troops simultaneously at other points. Apparently Ludendorff intends to make a desperate effort to gain the ridge westward of Mont Kemmel, in Flanders, where the' recent reinforcements include formations specially trained in hill fighting.

BRITISH ADVANCE }

SOUTH-WEST OP YPRES.

VANCOUVER. June 28,

A London message states chat the British advanced a mile south of Bailleul from, the east angle of the Nieppe Forest. -

BRITISH AVIATION REPORT

Received 8.55 a.m

LONDON, June 30

Sir Douglas Haig reports much, air fighting. On the 28th the enemy machines showed considerable activity. We shot down seventeen and drove down six uncontrollable. Three of ours are missing. . Our airmen and balloons co-operated with the artillery in engaging batteries and dumps with good destructive effect, causing a great number of explosions. We dropped 32 tons of bombs, in daytime , and 14| tons at night-time.

HINDENBURG’S PLANS.

WASHINGTON, June 29

The New York “Times’ ” correspondent at the front learns that Hindenburg has planned a great offensive against the Americans. The main point of the drive will be between Montdidier and Chateau Thierry. Tire German plans provide for minor oftensives in July, which will include an attempt to capture Rheims. The fact that fifty German divisions were not used in the last two drives fs evidence that the enemy is preparing a superoffensive.

GERMANY PREPARING ON A HUGE SCALE.

LONDON, June 29

The Australian Press Association learns that Germany is undoubtedly preparing for an offensive on a huge scale. 'Although there is no present indication where the main attack is to be made, there is some reason to believe that they will strike on the British front in the north. The enemy will do their utmost to mislead us in regard to the main effort by making subsidiary attacks at various points. We must be prepared for an attack between Rheims and the Meuse, where the enemy’s object would be to cut the French army in two. Although the disposal of the enemys’ reserves does not point to it, yet they might try a surprise attack there.

A FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

1060 PRISONERS REPORTED,

LONDON, June 29

A French communique states: South of the Aisne we a'ttacked this morning from south of Ambleny to east of Mont Gobert, our object being to drive the enemy from fortified positions, We penetrated the enemy’s organisations on a front of seven kilometres. We carried two trenches above Laverhine heights, north-west of Outry, carrying our line to the western outskirts of St. Pierre Agle and the crest thereof. Our advance attained a maximum depth of two kilometres.

A total of 1060 prisoners were counted during the 26th and 27th. The French success in capturing 1000 prisoners southward of Ambleny, coupled with the British adavnce, and the prisonering of SOU at Merville, and the-Australian capture of points with forty-three prisoners westward of Merris, indicates that the Allies are not passively waiting for the German offensive.

GERMANS DEPRIVED OF IMPORTANT POINTS.

LONDON, June 29,

Reuter’s correspondent at the French Headquarters states: The French made an advance on the morning of the 28th between the Aisne and Villers Dotterels Forest, along the valley separating Montigny and Domnieres Plateau on a front of 4| miles, the objective being the capture of a number of points which might be useful to the enemy in the event of a new offensive, chiefly Fassenhas in the valley (2i miles south of the 'Aisne), and Cutry (two miles further south, below the crest of the eastern wall of the valley). The infantry advanced at five o’clock in the morning, and attained most of their objectives in one and a-quarter hours, including Hill 162, five hundred feet high, overlooking St. Pierre-Aigle and Doxnnieres. The German artillery was dominated by our guns, A Paris semi-official says: A successful French attack enabled the strengthening of our defence against a hostile attempt to surround the Forest of Villers Cotterets, towards Compeigne, from the north.

AMERICANS PLAYING A BIG ROLE NEW YORK, June 29. The New York “Times” correspondent at the American front says: The Americans are now on eight sectors of the West front, including Montdidier, Toule, and Lorraine; on three points in Isace, and north-west and east of Chateau Thierry. Solne sectors are held exclusively by Americans, others in conjunction with the Allies, POSITION FURTHER IMPROVED. LONDON, June 29. American official.— e again improved our positions southward of Torcy. Prisoners taken in the operation of the 25th now total'3oo. A French communique states: North-west of Montdidier we slightly advanced our positions in Seneca "Wood, taking a few prisoners. A local operation south of Damhand resulted in some prisoners being taken.

AUSTRALIANS CAPTURE POSTS. LONDON, June 29. The Australians attacked and captured posts westwards of Merris, They prisonered 43. Six machine-guns were captured. Our aeroplanes did a full day’s work on the 27th. Some increase in hostile activity is evident. There w r as more air fighting. We destroyed twenty

aeroplanes and drove down nine uncontrollable. Fourteen British machines are missing. We vigorously bombed the enemy behind the lines, dropping twentyo-ne tons of bombs on railway junctions and other targets.

ENEMY COUNTER ATTACK FAILS,

LONDON, June 29.

A French communique states: Tne Germans twice attempted to drive us from the positions we captured yesterday. A counter-attack by several battalions between Fosse-en-bas ana Ravin de Cutry was repulsed. Our new front is maintained in its entirety. '•

South-west of Rheims, lively fighting occurred on the Monta GenceBligny sector.

LONDON, June 29

German official: We repulsed the French near Amibleny but they gained ground beyond Cutry. Our counterattacks threw them back on the heights on both sides of Cutry.

GERMAN’S UTTERLY SURPRISED.

UNHAPPY CROWD OF PRISONERS.

LONDON, June 29.

Mr Philip Gibbs writes: The sudden British ataek cast of Nicppc Forest utterly surprised two divisions of Saxons and Prussians. English battalions advanced after a short, violent bombardment. There was little fighting and the Germans were quickly overwhelmed, the unhappy crowd including many new drafts, who must have been the scrapings of German depots. They wore mostly undersized fellows, unfit for the front line. Probably they were there in order to hold* the line only until fresh storm ttoops arrived for the new offensive. The prisoners’ spirits w r ere low because of the general misery of their surroundings, which consisted of flat, shelterless country. They were also suffering from an epidemic of influenza, which seriously affected their strength, Both divisions speak gloomily, and express Kuhlmann’s views that a military decision will not bring

peace. . . Eeuter’s correspondent at British Headquarters, writing on the evening of the 28th. says: —¥o successfully advanced this morning nearly a mile capturing ground at De Batablost, at a point just west of Bois D’Aval, which forms the north-west angle of Nieppe Forest. This point was the last in the Flanders offensive at which the enemy thrust hardest in order to bring off a flanking .attack on ' the high ground cast, of Kemmel. His possession of the forest would open the way to an ad ranee on Hazebrouck, entailing a possible retirement of our forces holding the hilly country between Cassel and Sachcrpenberg. The enemy’s former attempts in that direction though frustrated, rendered our position cramping for future operations This morning’s advance was designed, therefore, to enlarge our holding. The attack was launched at 6 o’clock on a front of 6000 yards from Vicux Bcrquin on the left to Pontournant on our right. Our objective was the line of a small stream named Plato Bccque, 1500 yards away, which was attained completely without hitch or contretemps. Lancashire and Yorkshire troops were engaged, also regiments from the Southern Counties. The enemy made a fight, but never looked have a chance of winning. His losses must have been considerable.